Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

Apple Crumble Pie is made with a tender crust that is filled with juicy, spiced apples and topped with a delicious, buttery streusel topping. This homemade dutch apple pie is easier to make than a classic double-crusted pie and makes the perfect fall dessert!

Apple Crumble Pie

Apple Pie is one of the classic recipes we all love. Today I’m sharing my favorite twist on this beloved dessert – the Dutch Apple Pie. The difference between a Dutch Apple Pie (aka Apple Crumble Pie) and a traditional Apple Pie is the streusel topping that bakes up into crunchy, sweet deliciousness and is, in my opinion, easier to make than a pastry top. A perfect dessert for Thanksgiving and other special occasions!

The perfect Apple Pie starts with choosing the right apples. You want the apple filling to have a balanced flavor that is not overly sweet so you can taste the apple and it should not be mushy but have a bit of texture. Many recipes recommend Granny Smith apples but these apples lack flavor and are quite tart that’s why I like to combine different apples to get the BEST Apple Pie.

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What are the Best Apples for a Pie

To make the best Apple Pie use a combination of flavorful and firm apples like Granny Smith and McIntosh.

Granny Smith: firm, do not mush but are quite tart and do not contain a very strong apple flavor, best combined with a more sweet and flavorful apple

Honeycrisp: sweet, flavorful, and stay relatively firm, great combined with Granny Smith, but not always available

Golden Delicious: flavorful, nice blend of sweet and tart, loses a bit of firmness when cooked

Jonagold: firm texture, flavorful, nice blend of sweet and tart, hard to find but makes a great pie by itself

Gala: sweet, flavorful, firm texture, best combined with a tart apple

McIntosh: sweet and juicy, flavorful, soft, breaks down while cooking, great combined with Granny Smith apples

Pink Lady: flavorful, blend of sweet and sour flavors, makes a great pie by itself

How many Apples are needed for an Apple Pie with crumb topping

How many apples you need depends on the size of the apples you use and the recipe you use. For this recipe, you’ll need 8 cups of sliced apples which is about 2 3/4 pounds or 8 medium apples. The apples will be stacked high in this recipe because they will shrink after you take the pie out of the oven.

Tips and Tricks for Making the BEST Apple Crumb Pie

Use a storebought pie crust (follow instructions on packaging) or use your favorite pie crust recipe! Using a premade crust makes it a lot easier and quicker but if I have the time I like to make a homemade crust.

Peeling the apples is important because the peel becomes chewy and tough once baked.

Don’t take a shortcut and just dump the dry filling ingredients on top of the apples. Make sure that the dry filling ingredients are thoroughly combined before adding them to the apples.

Let the apples sit for at least 15 minutes so they start to release their juices. This will help the filling to thicken later.

Bake the apple pie on a parchment-covered baking sheet. The apple filling tends to bubble up and it’s so much easier to just throw away some parchment paper than to clean the bottom of the oven.

Let the pie cool completely before slicing so that the starch and the apples can do their job of thickening the filling. If you slice it too early it will crumble more and the filling won’t be as thick.

How to make Dutch Apple Pie

If you’re using a homemade pie crust prepare it according to the recipe.

We start by making the apple filling before we preheat the oven, this way the apples have time to release some of their juices.

Combine the dry ingredients for the filling in a separate bowl then add them to the sliced apples and mix with your hands or a spatula until combined.

Next step is to preheat the oven and preparing the pie plate. If you are using a refrigerated pie crust take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before unrolling it.

Place the pie crust into a 9×2-inch round pie dish, use your fingers to tuck it in, trim the overhang and flute the edges (Check out this video). Fluting the edges helps the pie crust to hold the filling while baking.

Spoon the apple filling into the crust, leaving some of the liquid in the bowl.

Prepare the crumb topping and sprinkle it over the pie.

Put the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, reducing the temperature after 20 minutes.

How do you make a Crumb Topping for Apple Pie

My favorite thing about this dutch apple pie recipe is probably the crumb topping. It is a delicious and EASY twist on a classic double-crust apple pie! Making a crumble topping for apple pie is super easy and adds a little bit of crunch.

To make a Dutch apple pie topping you just need a few simple ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. You can use a fork or a pastry cutter to combine them but I always prefer to use my hands. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until the streusel has the desired consistency. I like my crumb topping coarser with bigger crumbs and not too sandy.

Tools and Ingredients used for Making Apple Crumble Pie

Apple Peeler/Slicer: This tool makes it super easy to prep apples for apple pie! (You can also use it for potatoes!!)Cinnamon: I always buy Cinnamon at Costco! Great quality and great price!!Pie Plate: This pie plate is made from borosilicate glass so you can transfer it directly from the freezer to the oven without the risk of shattering.

Instructions

In a large bowl combine sliced apples and lemon juice, then add the mixed dried ingredients and using a spatula stir everything together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place pie crust in pie dish and tuck it in with your fingers. Trim excess dough if needed and flute the edges.

Spoon the apple filling into the crust but leave most of the liquid in the bowl.

To make the crumble topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter cubes in a bowl and use a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands to combine until thick and crumbly. Sprinkle topping over apple filling.

Place pie dish on a large enough baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 30 more minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up. If the edges brown to quickly cover them with a pie shield after 20 minutes.

Let the pie cool completely before cutting into it to allow the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Video

Notes

How to make Apple Crumble Pie in advance:

To make this apple crumble pie recipe in advance bake the pie according to the instructions and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. On the day you want to serve it let the pie dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (to avoid the pie dish breaking from going directly to the oven) and then reheat the pie for 10 to 15 minutes in a 375°F oven before serving it. This will help re-crisp the crust and warm up the apple filling.

Judy Gordon

Dini

This came out really well, the streusel topping was delicious! Thanks so much for all your tips, and I loved the idea of combining different types of apple. Will definitely be making this again for Thanksgiving!